Promotion of British Values
At Tillingbourne Junior School we recognise not only the importance of allowing pupils to flourish academically but we also embrace our wider role in preparing them for their adult life in modern day Britain. Part of our role in that preparation is ensuring that we promote and reinforce British values to our pupils. As part of this responsibility everyone at Tillingbourne Junior School has worked towards becoming a ‘Rights Respecting School’, with Gold accreditation (see the Rights Respecting section under Curriculum information for more details). Our children are taught that all children have rights through the 42 articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa.
We work in unison with UNICEF as we take pride in making children feel happy and safe as they learn about:
Democracy
At Tillingbourne School the principle of democracy is consistently reinforced, with the democratic process being employed for important decisions within the school community. An example of this is the elections that are held for School Council Representatives where students can see, first hand, how the democratic process works.
From a curricular point of view, the principle of democracy is further explored through mock elections, themes in assembly such as civil rights and through the history and English curriculum.
Rule of law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the individual, class, school, or country, are consistently reinforced throughout the curriculum including through assemblies and through our school behaviour policy. Children participate actively, contributing to their Class Charters, sharing and signing our School Charter and sharing their views and opinions through School Council and regular class council meetings. Through RRS children learn that governments have a responsibility to protect children’s rights through the laws that are made.
Individual liberty
Pupils are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Our children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely, for example through our exploration of Online Safety in computing.
Respect and tolerance
Respect is at the core of our school ethos and is modelled by all members of community. Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum from the concept of ‘fair play’ in PE to our playground play-leaders and Year 6 pupils running a range of clubs for younger children. Tolerance and respect for different faiths and cultures is achieved through equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity within the school community.
Opportunities for all
Equal opportunities are enshrined in all of our policies and practices at Tillingbourne.
Should you feel that the school is not meeting these requirements, you should contact the school office and request to express your concerns with the Headteacher. Likewise, if you feel that anyone working at the school is undermining these values you should report this to the Headteacher.